3 Ways Your Applicants Could Cheat Your Drug Screening

Drug testing can bring legal protection and peace of mind for employers. But, there’s a common fear for any company that requires drug testing as a part of their screening process. Is the screening really secure? Will my applicant or employee be able to cheat their test? Am I hiring someone I can really trust?

One of the best ways to calm these worries is to have a trusted relationship with a professional screening company. It’s definitely the one we recommend! However, it is just as important to educate yourself and your staff on ways applicants and employees could cheat their drug test.

Here are the top three ways your applicants or employees can cheat their drug test, and what you need to know about them.

Dilution A diluted urine sample is one that has a higher than average or expected water content. This is typically achieved when an individual drinks a large amount of liquid before their test. Dilution is also fairly common in those who are in the habit of drinking water on a regular basis, and is often cause for a re-test.

Your company can combat dilution, whether accidental or intentional, by making use of alternative testing methods. These include blood testing, oral fluid testing (also known as the cheek swab), and other methods.

Adulteration Adulteration is the direct result of tampering with the sample. This could be adding eye drops, soap, bleach, or any number of chemicals to attempt to mask illicit substances that could be found in the sample.

One method to circumvent this is asking applicants or employees to leave all of their personal effects in a designated area prior to beginning the test. Another method is implementing a “clean” room as a designated collection space.

Substitution Of all the ways to cheat a drug test, this is the only method that has a consistent rate of success. This method involves using urine from someone other than the employee or applicant. There are a number of logistical challenges to pulling off this scam correctly, from the temperature of the urine to hiding the sample under their clothing.

The best way to fight substitution is to hire a drug testing representative. Trained professionals can monitor the collection and ensure that nothing has been tampered with or substituted.

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